Thief turned Ninja (Revised)
by notagoodwriter6415
Summary: Hated by the villagers and trained by the nine tailed fox, Naruto Uzumaki lives his life the way he loves: as a thief. However, his thieving life is about to change after a decision was made behind his back. Now Naruto must learn the ways of the ninja, even if he doesn't want to. (NaruXHina, SausXSaku) (revised version)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Ok guys. This is the revised version of this story. I'm still working on the other chapters as well as the next chapter of Behind the Mask. It might take me a while to do all of this so bare with me. Anyway, let's see how this goes...**

Chapter 1:

A storm was raging through the village of Konoha. Thunder boomed and lighting flashed through the sky. The villagers were inside their homes, keeping dry from the downpour of rain. It didn't seem like the storm was going to pass anytime soon.

At the Konoha orphanage, the children were safely tucked in bed and were sleeping peacefully. The caretakers, Ms. Tanaka and her assistant Kairi, had finished making sure the children were sleeping soundly. They had just left the sleeping area when Ms. Tanaka said "Kairi, could you make sure the windows are closed in my office?"

Kairi nodded and said "Yes, ma'am." She headed for Ms. Tanaka's office and upon arrival, saw that the window was open.

'I could've sworn I closed that window.' Kairi thought.

She walked over to close the window, but then she noticed something on Ms. Tanaka's desk. I was a cloth bag that was tied up. It was partially soaked and dripped water from the tied up string. Kairi had a feeling she knew what it was. She slowly opened the bag, and inside was a large amount of money. Kairi could only sigh. Her suspicions were right.

"He's been here again, hasn't he?" Kairi looked up and saw Ms. Tanaka standing in the doorway with a saddened expression on her face.

Kairi nodded sadly. Ms. Tanaka walked over to her desk and looked into the money filled bag. "There's more here than last time." Said Ms. Tanaka.

"What should we do with it?" asked Kairi.

"Put it in the safe. We'll use it to buy some food for the children when the storm passes." Said Ms. Tanaka.

"It doesn't feel right using it. You know as well as I do that this money is stolen." Said Kairi.

"I know, but the money we get from the Hokage and the council isn't enough to keep this place running. At least this way we can keep the children clothed, fed, and happy." Said Ms. Tanaka.

"I just don't understand why he keeps doing this. After what we did to him, why would he keep giving us this money?" said Kairi.

Ms. Tanaka sighed and looked out the open window. "I wish I knew. One thing is for certain though. He's not doing this for us." She said, as she closed the window.

Nearby on an adjacent building, a dark figure was kneeling on the roof watching the two caretakers. He wore black shinobi sandals, black cloth pants, an orange sweatshirt with black sleeves, black goggles around his neck and a black t-shirt with an orange swirl on the front. He had his hood over his head, covering his short spikey blonde hair. His cerulean blue eyes were fixed on the orphanage. The rain dripped on his whiskered marked cheeks. This figure is named Naruto Uzumaki.

At a young age, Naruto's life was nothing but a living hell. The villagers had a deep hatred for Naruto and would treat him like a demon. However, Naruto never did anything wrong. He was like any other child, except for having a demon sealed away inside him. When Naruto was born, the village's 4th hokage sealed the demon 9 tailed fox, Kurama, inside Naruto. It was the only way to save the village from certain destruction. Unfortunately, the sealing killed the 4th hokage, leaving the villagers to blame Naruto for his death. This lead to no one wanting to adopt Naruto, and they would try to attack him. Not everyone hated Naruto.

The 3rd Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was put back in charge after the 4th hokage's death, cared about Naruto and helped him out any way he could. He gave Naruto a small apartment he could use, since Ms. Tanaka and Kairi had to throw him out of the orphanage. However, the apartment only attracted the villagers to vandalize it and burn it. Naruto never used the apartment, except to bathe and wash his clothes. Other than that, Naruto never stayed in the apartment for long.

In order for Naruto to protect himself from the villagers, he had to train himself in how to fight. While the 3rd hokage gave Naruto ninja bodyguards, they were practically useless. They hated Naruto as much as the villagers. They would usually shirk their duties and leave Naruto to fend for himself. Naruto never cared much about the villagers or the order for Naruto to protect himself, he had to teach himself how to fight like a ninja and use different types of jutsus.

However, during his training, back when he was 6, he accidentally discovered the 9 tails's power. This led to Naruto meeting Kurama. At first, Kurama didn't think much of Naruto, but the two shared the same hatred for the villagers. They became quick friends, and the demon fox decided to train Naruto. Over the course of 4 years, Naruto had mastered using the 9 tails's chakra, making it his own.

This had a unique effect on Naruto. The training had made Naruto stronger, faster, and more agile. He could perform free running maneuvers that could rival a jounin, and he could even orient himself in midair and can survive falls that could kill even a skilled ninja. He could sneak around without making a sound, or even alert a ninja to his presence. Naruto could even control the flow of time around him. He could slow, stop, and even reverse time at will, but only for a few seconds.

Kurama even told Naruto about his parents, the 4th Hokage and his wife. Naruto was shocked when he found out the truth, but he didn't care much about his heritage. He blames his late parents for what happened to him. Nevertheless, Kurama taught him his mother's bloodline, the adamantine chains and his father's sealing techniques. Naruto uses the chains as weapons and he uses them whenever he steals.

Since Naruto had no money, he had to resort to stealing in order to survive. It took some practice, but Naruto eventually mastered the arts of pickpocketing, lock picking, swindling, blackmailing, reading people, and breaking and entering. He would steal from everyone. It didn't matter from who. He would steal from both the rich, noble families, to the common villager.

He would keep the money for himself so he could buy himself food. But Naruto would always leave more that half of the money he steals to the side for the orphanage. For the past 3 years, Naruto would bring the orphanage a sack of money and leave without a trace. At first, Ms. Tanaka and Kairi didn't understand where the money came from, but they once secretly saw Naruto leaving the money behind. At first they wanted to discard the money, but always kept it, putting it to good use. Naruto would always keep track of the money he gives to the orphanage. It was a way of using it as leverage against them. Naruto always found something to hold over someone's head. He knew everyone had secrets, and it's best to use that secret against them. There wasn't one secret Naruto didn't know about.

Back on the rooftops, Naruto stood back up, and lighting flashed in the sky with a thunderous boom following close behind. Feeling that it was time to get out of the storm, Naruto started to run along the rooftops. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop and he parkoured his way down into an alleyway. He eventually found his way to a small open area by the village wall.

Naruto made a hand symbol and in a puff of smoke, a small wooden shack appeared. It may have looked rundown, but it was home to Naruto. He built this little shack a few years ago and, thanks to the Kyuubi, Naruto can make the shack disappear and reappear, and he can even put the shack in a scroll so he can take it with him if he needed to. This was the alternative to the apartment. Naruto placed his hand on the door and his chakra chains appeared and snapped. After that, Naruto walked inside and he closed the door behind him.

He then placed his hand on the door again and the chakra chains formed an x pattern. Call it a form of security for Naruto. Naruto took off his sweatshirt and he hung it near the small stove he had found out in the trash. After he got a fire going, he took off the rest of his clothes and hung them near the stove. He then put on a pair of pajamas he stole from a shop in the village market. He lied down on his mattress and stared up at the ceiling of his shack. The sound of the rain hitting the roof of his shack was almost tranquil. Naruto sighed and he relaxed into his makeshift bed.

'I don't understand why you keep giving those two morons half of your earnings, kit.' said a demonic voice in Naruto's head. It was Kurama. A ghostly image of the nine tailed fox appeared next to Naruto, sitting there looking at him.

'Aren't you usually asleep right now?' thought Naruto, as he opened one eye and looked at the imaginary fox.

'Don't try to change the subject, Kit. You still haven't given me a reason why you constantly help those two after what they did to you.' Said Kurama.

'Don't worry about it, Kurama What I do with my earnings is none of your concern.' Thought Naruto, as he closed his eye and placed his hands behind his head.

'It becomes my concern when you won't be able to pay for your food. You are eating for both of us, remember?' said Kurama.

'I know, but I've still got some money saved away, and besides, it's not like I can't steal some more.' Thought Naruto.

'True. But I been sensing that you're getting a little bored with pickpocketing random villagers every day. You want to do something big.' Said Kurama.

Naruto chuckled 'You know me so well. Actually, I was thinking I could pull of a heist at some point. I haven't done one since I robbed the Inuzuka compound.' Thought Naruto.

'And just who were you planning on robbing this time?' asked Kurama.

Naruto shrugged 'Not sure. Guess I'm gonna have to scout around until I find someone whose worth stealing from.' Thought Naruto.

'You plan on doing that when the storm passes?' said Kurama.

'No, I was planning on dressing up in a suit of armor and run around on the rooftops like a lighting rod.' Thought Naruto, sarcastically.

Kurama laughed 'Real funny, kit.' He said as his imaginary form dissipated. Naruto just laughed quietly and he soon fell to sleep.

 **AN: Alright, that was the revised chapter one. Let me know what you guys think and make any suggestions or comments you want. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey guys. Been a while since i messed around with this story. Anyway, sorry about the really... really long wait. I hope this goes ok.**

2 days later:

The storm had finally passed over Konoha and the sky was clear and blue. The villagers were soon out of their homes and going about their usual business. Naruto had spent half the day pickpocketing random villagers and was now enjoying a plate of cookies that he stole from the bakery. In fact, he and Kurama were watching the baker yell at some random villagers on the rooftops. The baker just shouted angrily, accusing everyone of stealing from him. Naruto and Kurama just chuckled to themselves.

' _Never gets old._ ' Naruto thought, as he finished the last cookie.

Kurama nodded in agreement, but then noticed something that made him sighed.

' ** _Glad your enjoying the show, but I think it's time you moved on._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto looked over and saw some leaf ninja approaching. Naruto sighed and he started to leave the area. Last thing he needed was the ninja spotting him and blaming him for the crime he committed.

 _'Just when it was getting good._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **Well, there's always next time.**_ ' Said Kurama, and he then dissipated his form.

Naruto walked along the rooftops, until he jumped down into an alleyway and walked out into the streets. Naruto kept his hands in his sweatshirt pockets as he walked along the street. He could feel the villagers glancing at him with hate filled looks. Naruto was never bothered by the looks. He had just as much hatred for them. After a little while, something caught Naruto's attention. He noticed that the villagers were parting ways, as if someone important was coming through. Feeling intrigued, Naruto ducked down a nearby alleyway and got to the rooftops to get a better view.

When he got on the roof, he glanced down at the streets and saw who was making the villagers clear the road. It was 3 members of one of the most respected clan in the village, with a few bodyguards to match. Their pale white eyes give them away. They are known as the Hyuga clan. Hiashi Hyuga, leader of the clan, and his 2 daughters, Hinata and Hanabi, were making their way through the village. Naruto just stared at the Hyugas with great interest. So much interest, that it got the 9 tails's attention. Kurama reappeared next to Naruto and glanced down at the Hyugas before looking at Naruto.

' ** _What are you thinking, Kit?_** ' he asked.

' _I think I just found my next mark.'_ Thought Naruto.

' ** _You can't be serious. You want to steal from the Hyuga clan?_** ' said Kurama.

' _Yeah, I do. I've never stolen from them before, so this could be a great challenge for me.'_ Thought Naruto.

' ** _More like an impossible challenge. You know full well about the Hyuga's byakugan. They'll spot you before you even get the chance to make a move._** ' Said Kurama.

' _Then I better make sure I don't get spotted._ ' Thought Naruto.

Kyuubi sighed ' ** _Just be sure to study them before you pull of your heist. Last thing you need…_** ' said Kurama, but Naruto interrupted.

' _Is to be unprepared and without a plan. Relax Kurama. If there's one thing you know about me, is that I plan ahead for everything._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **I hope so Kit. Because if you make one mistake, it's both of us that'll pay the price.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Well, we better get started, then. Let's go check out the Hyuga compound._ ' Thought Naruto.

With that, Kurama had disappeared again and Naruto began to run along the rooftops towards the home of the Hyugas. Excitement could be felt inside Naruto. He couldn't wait to see how challenging stealing from Hyuga clan could be. The anticipation of his upcoming heist brought a large grin to his face. Kurama on the other hand knew that Naruto would have to take this seriously. Hiashi Hyuga was no man to cross. There's a reason why he was the head of the Hyuga clan. If Naruto was going to succeed, he would have to put every aspect of his thieving training into play.

Within a few minutes, Naruto had arrived at the Hyuga compound and he stared down at it from the nearby rooftop of an adjacent building. To say that the Hyuga compound was huge could be an understatement. The main house sat in the center of the complex with smaller houses lined side-by-side surrounding the main house. A large gate stood at the front of the compound with two guards standing on either side of it. There were also a few large trees scattered around the compound along with a large pond with a bridge over it. Naruto was impressed to say the least.

' _Nice place._ ' Thought Naruto.

Kurama had reappeared next to Naruto and looked at the compound.

' _ **Eh, I've seen bigger.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _You're never impressed by anything, are you?_ ' thought Naruto, as he looked at Kurama.

' _ **Not really.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Naruto looked back at the Hyuga compound and began to study it carefully. He looked at all the possible entryways and hiding spots he could before turning his attention to the guards and buildings. From what Naruto could see, getting lost in this place could be an issue in itself.

' _Man, this might be tricky to navigate around in there._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you keep your memory sharp and avoid the guards you should be fine.'**_ Said Kurama.

' _Right. Now, about the guards. I assume they all used the byakugan?'_ thought Naruto.

Kurama nodded ' _ **They do.**_ ' he said.

' _Remind me what the byakugan does again._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **The byakugan enhances the users sight allowing them to perceive an almost three hundred sixty degree view of their surroundings. It also allows them to see the chakra flow of their opponent.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Naruto sighed and sat down on the roof, letting his legs dangle over the edge.

' _So sneaking behind these guys is out._ ' Said Naruto.

' _ **Not necessarily. There is a weakness to the byakugan. For one thing, it has a blind spot.**_ **'** Said Kurama.

Naruto looked at Kurama in surprise.

' _Really?'_ he thought.

' _ **Yes. The blind spot it located just above the first thoracic vertebra.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _The what?_ ' thought Naruto, confused.

Kurama sighed ' _ **Just above the neck.**_ ' He said.

' _Huh, sounds like a small blind spot._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **It is. There aren't many people that can take advantage of the blind spot. Which is why you will have to stay out of its range. The byakugan is useful in close quarters but at a distance its effectiveness at long range. You just have to keep out of it in order not to be spotted.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Naruto smiled as he looked at Kurama.

' _Should be easy enough to do.'_ Naruto thought, as he got back onto his feet.

' _Better go rest up for tonight. This is going to be fun._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **I hope so. If it's not, I know I'm never going to hear the end of it.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Oh come on. I don't complain about boring heists._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **The Sato's, The Momochi's, The Kurosaki's**_.' said Kurama, as he counted with his paw.

Naruto sighed in annoyance as he slumped over.

' _Seriously?_ ' he thought.

Kurama chuckled to himself as he disappeared. Meanwhile, Naruto rolled his eyes and began to head back towards his shack, formulating a plan for his heist. He couldn't wait for tonight.

Timeskip: 20 hours

Darkness had fell over the village and everyone was fast asleep. All, except for Naruto, and the Hyuga guards that were protecting the compound. From an adjacent rooftop Naruto carefully inspected the compound, seeing if anything changed from his previous observations. Nothing seemed to had changed, which was a good thing for Naruto. Kurama had reappeared next to Naruto and examined the compound.

' _Alright. Time to put the plan into action._ ' He thought.

' ** _First, enter the compound from the roof._** ' Said Kurama.

With that said, Naruto placed his goggles over his eyes, hood over his head, gloves on his hands, and he summoned his adamantine chains. He then whipped them towards the Hyuga compound, attaching them to the roof of one of the compound buildings. Naruto then secured them to the rooftop he was on and he took a step onto his makeshift bridge.

' ** _Remember to time this right. The guards should be coming any second now._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto nodded and he made a symbol with his hands and closed his eyes. "Kitsune vision." He whispered.

His eyes opened, revealing red foxlike eyes. His vision increased and he spotted the guards chakra patterns all over the compound. He then eyed the guards walking under his chains.

' _Ready._ ' Thought Naruto.

As soon as the guards passed under the chains Kurama said ' ** _Now._** '

Naruto dashed across the chains and upon reaching halfway, he used his time stop ability to freeze time as he entered the compound. Kurama had followed Naruto across the chains. Due to his form being a figment of Naruto's imagination, he was able to float through the air with ease. They made it onto the rooftop and dispersed the adamantine chains. Once done, time resumed at its normal pace.

' _Wish I could stop time for the rest of this heist._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Now that would too easy for you._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto smirked ' _True._ ' He thought. He then started to sneak on the roof and scanned around the compound, with Kurama floating closely next to him. ' _Now if I was a family vault, where would I be?_ ' thought Naruto.

He scanned the compound and saw the main house in the center. ' _In the main family's house, of course._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Probably in the lower levels._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto agreed. They slowly made his way across the roof and quietly jumped down into the bushes. They then waited for the guards to pass before slowing down time and quickly moving to the main house. Once there, Naruto and Kurama managed to sneak inside and started to make they're way to the lower levels of the compound.

' _Man, this place is big. You think it would be easy to find the stairs to the basement._ ' Thought Naruto.

He found the stairs to the lower levels and proceeded to sneak down the stairs with Kurama following behind. Upon entering the lower levels they discovered a maze of hallways.

' _Damn. Better not get lost down here._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _You've got a good memory, kit. You'll remember the way._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto snuck around the hallways, careful to check every corner for guards. He eventually came across the vault, and two Hyuga guards standing in front of it. Kurama walked up behind Naruto and peered around the corner with him.

' _Alright. Found the vault. Now I gotta figure out two problems._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _How to open it, and how to get those guards away from it._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto carefully examined the vault from where he was. ' _Looks like there's a key that unlocks it. Hiashi probably has it._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Which means, he either keeps it on him at all times, or he has it stored away somewhere._** ' Said Kurama.

' _Most likely he'll keep it in his room. We just have to sneak in and look around. Probably best to search from the outside._ ' Thought Naruto.

Kurama agreed and with that decided, they quietly made thier way back to the ground level of the Hyuga household.

Just as Naruto got to the ground level, he heard voices heading towards him. He quickly ducked back down the stairs and waited for the voices to pass. Kurama on the other hand had moved passed Naruto and sat in the middle of the hallway. He could see two figures approaching him. Neither of them took notice to Kurama as they passed.

"Will you go back to bed now that you have your water, Hanabi?" said a boy's voice.

"Yes Neji. I'll go back to bed." Moaned Hinabi.

Naruto peered from the stairs and watched the two Hyuga's pass. He eyed Neji carefully. He knew a lot about Neji. He is Hinata and Hanabi's cousin and a member of the branch family. He's also a strong fighter and already graduated the academy as a gennin. Naruto knew it would be best to avoid him. Once they were out of sight Naruto started to sneak towards an exit and Kurama followed behind.

" ** _If I were you, I'd use the back walkway to find the rooms._** ' Kurama suggested.

' _Right._ ' Thought Naruto.

They made their way to the back walkway and started to search for Hiashi's room. Naruto saw a room with a dim light coming from it. He assumed that was Hanabi's room and made sure to avoid it. Naruto and Kurama searched two other rooms with no luck. They then came to another room and quietly slid the door open. Naruto and Kurama then snuck carefully into the room and Naruto closed the door. They then looked around and saw that this wasn't Hiashi's room. It was another bedroom, with a sleeping Hinata lying in her bed. Naruto was about to leave, but something caught his eye, something valuable. He quietly walked over to the side of her bed and stared at the item on her nightstand. It was a necklace made of pure silver with a silver locket on the end.

' _This ought to be worth something._ ' Thought Naruto. He carefully picked it up and examined the necklace. He then opened the locket and saw that there was a picture inside it, which made his heart, sank. Kurama could clearly see Naruto's expression change the moment he opened the locket.

The picture inside the locket was of Hinata and her mother, her late mother. Naruto knew all about the death of Hinata's mother. She died from an incurable disease and passed away a few months after Hanabi was born. The entire village was there for her funeral, even Naruto, who stood by at a distance. Naruto just stared at the photo and then he looked at Hinata, who was still sleeping soundly. Naruto could understand the importance that this locket meant to her. He quietly placed the locket back down on the nightstand and quietly started to leave the room.

' ** _Kit, why aren't you…_** ' said Kurama.

' _Kurama, not now._ ' Thought Naruto, was a little surprised at the tone of Naruto's thought, but remained silent as he followed Naruto out of the room. Naruto quietly exited Hinata's room with Kurama and closed the door as silently as he could.

' _Let's find Hiashi's room and get out of here._ ' Thought Naruto.

They then headed for the next room. After another 2 rooms, Naruto had finally found Hiashi's room. He quietly entered and began his search for the key. Hiashi remained asleep in his bed, unaware of his visitor. Naruto quietly checked every dresser and in the closet, taking some money he found along the way.

' _Where is that key?_ ' thought Naruto.

He then looked towards Hiashi's desk and quietly began his search there. He opened a few draws, and finally found the key hidden in a small lockbox (Which he picked the lock to) on top of his desk along with some more money.

' _Got it. Now to get those guards away from the vault._ ' Thought Naruto.

However, before he could leave, he noticed Hiashi stirring in his bed. Both he and Kurama looked at each other, realizing that Hiashi was waking up. Naruto quickly ducked behind the desk and tried his hardest to stay out of sight. Kurama moved towards the desk and kept a firm eye on Hiashi, who had raised himself up from his bed. Hiashi glanced around the room, activating his byakugan in the process.

"Whose there?!" he said in a commanding voice.

Naruto kept quiet and still, fearing that moving a muscle would allow Hiashi to discover him. Kurama on the other hand just waved to Hiashi and made a funny face or two.

' _Seriously?! You choose now to taunt the guy?!" thought Naruto, extremely annoyed._

' _ **What? It's not like he can see me.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Naruto felt the urge to kill Kurama, but he knew that wouldn't help anything. He waited for what felt like hours before he heard Hiashi lie back down in his bed and fall asleep. Naruto waited another minute before coming out from behind the desk and walked towards the door. He and Kurama quietly left Hiashi's room and made their way back down to the lower levels of the main house. They eventually found his way back to the vault where the guards haven't moved.

' _Ok, so how do I get those guards to move from their spot?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _You could try asking them._** ' Said Kurama.

' _Funny. But seriously, how do I get them to move?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Well, 2 ideas come to mind. Either you make some noise at the other end of the hall, or you climb up into the rafters and knock them out. You're choice._** ' Said Kurama.

' _I think I like that second plan a little better._ ' Thought Naruto.

With that decided, Naruto quietly jumped up into the rafters and made his way above the guards. He then quietly summoned his adamantine chains and prepared to strike. He then whipped his chains around and wrapped them around the guards' necks and mouths, then jumped down off the rafters, lifting the guards off the ground. The guards struggled to break free and call for help they were muted by the chains.

"Shhhh, just go to sleep." Whispered Naruto.

After a few more seconds of struggling, the guards were knocked unconscious. Naruto quietly lowered the guards to the floor, and he moved them to a hidden spot. He then approached the vault and examined it carefully. Kurama walked up next to him and took a seat in front of the vault.

Naruto then pulled the key out of his pocket and thought ' _Alright, let's see if this is the right key._ '

He carefully inserted the key into the vault and twisted it. The vault unlocked and Naruto carefully pulled it open. Upon opening the vault, Naruto and Kurama were greeted by the sight of the Hyuga family fortune. Gold bars stacked high on one side of the room, jewels and other valuable items on the other. Neither of them had never seen anything like this.

' _Ja_ ** _ck_** _p_ ** _o_** _t!_ ' he and Kurama both exclaimed in Naruto's head.

They entered the vault and began to look around. ' _Man, I knew the Hyuga's were rich, but this is incredible._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Just start taking things and let's get out of here._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto headed over to the large pile of money and took out a scroll. He layed the scroll on the floor and began to pile the money on top of it.

' ** _Why aren't you taking the gold and jews?_** ' said Kurama, annoyed.

' _You know as well as I do that there is no way we can take that. They're usually marked and surrounded by traps. Money's untraceable and we can hide it easier than gold.'_ Thought Naruto.

Kurama knew Naruto was right, since he was the one who taught him that in the first place.

Once Naruto had placed a big enough pile on the scroll, he made a symbol with his hands, and the money disappeared into the scroll. He then rolled the scroll back up and placed it in his pocket.

' _Now it's time to leave._ ' Thought Naruto.

He and Kurama exited the vault, and closed it as quietly as he could. Naruto then re-locked it and they proceeded back to Hiashi's room. Once there, Naruto placed the key back inside the lockbox and he and Kurama started to make their way back to their starting point. They managed to get to the roof of the building he landed on and he chain whipped another bridge. Once he stopped time again, Naruto made a mad dash for the other rooftop with Kurama floating behind. Naruto stepped on to the roof and time resumed at normal pace again. His chains dispersed and Naruto proceeded to head home.

' _Now that was one hell of a challenge._ ' He thought.

' ** _Glad you enjoyed yourself._** ' Said Kurama, as he dissipated his form.

Naruto had spent the rest of the night counting the money he stole and splitting it between him and the orphanage. Considering the amount of money he took, he had no problem keeping himself going for a while. He was so exhausted from his work that he pretty much passed out the moment he hit his bed.

 **AN: Well. that's the end of that chapter. I might mess around with this chapter again at some point but maybe after i work on another story or so, I don't know. Still debating it. So, until next time, feel free to review or read my other stories. Thank you all.**


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning Naruto was making his way through the village to get to Ichiraku's ramen. The owner and his daughter didn't have a problem with Naruto, which kinda made Naruto feel like he had at lease some friends. During his walk Kurama kept trying to get his attention. The fox kept waving his claw in front of Naruto's face, repeating his name over and over again.

' _ **KIT!**_ ' shouted Kurama.

Finally, Naruto had enough.

'WHAT!' shouted Naruto.

The sudden outburst caught the attention of some of the villagers and it put Naruto off. Kurama pace palmed himself and sighed.

' _ **Nice going kit.**_ **'** said Kurama.

Naruto cleared his throat and looked at the villagers.

"Thought someone was calling my name." he said, though it didn't sound convincing.

The villagers looked to each other and just gave Naruto a strange look. Not wanting to stay around any longer, Naruto started to walk again, hoping to be out of the area before people started talking. Kurama started to follow behind Naruto, and soon caught up to him.

' _ **Are you going to listen to me now?**_ ' asked Kurama.

' _I was listening._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **No you weren't. You haven't been listening to me all morning**_ **.** ' Said Kurama.

' _Wel, I'm listening now, so what do you want?_ ' thought Naruto.

' _ **You haven't explained to me why you didn't take that necklace from that Hyuuga girl.'**_ Said Kurama.

Naruto didn't answer at first. If anything he wanted to avoid this conversation.

' _ **Don't tell me you felt sorry for her**_.' Said Kurama.

Naruto sighed ' _She lost her mother, Kurama. It wouldn't be right to take something that meant so much to her_.' He thought.

' _ **Since when did you care about doing the right thing? You didn't want to take that locket because you felt sorry for her, just because she doesn't have a mother anymore, just like you**_.' Said Kurama.

Naruto cringed at the mention of his mother. Even if he didn't know her, it still bothered him to hear Kurama mention her. Kurama moved ahead of Naruto and floated in front of him.

' _ **I'm right, aren't I?**_ ' said Kurama, as he pointed a finger at Naruto.

' _No, you're not. I didn't take that locket because it wouldn't be right, and besides, she never did anything to me that would make me hate her._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **That may be true, kit, but that doesn't mean that she won't in the future**_.' said Kurama.

Naruto quietly hoped Kurama would be wrong about that.

As he continued his walk to Ichiraku's, Naruto and Kurama started to notice something. The villagers were all talking to each other and completely ignoring Naruto. They thought this was strange so they began to listen in on the villagers' conversations.

"Are you sure that happened?"

"Yeah, someone broke into the Hyuuga's home last night."

"Was it an assassination attempt?"

"I don't know. They haven't said anything else other than that."

"Were the heiresses hurt?"

"No, I saw miss Hinata walking to the academy this morning, but with her guards. Same with miss Hanabi."

"Hopefully they catch whoever broke in."

Naruto was intrigued. ' _Well this is interesting. Not even a day and already their talking about my heist_.' He thought.

' _ **Word always seems to travel fast in the village.**_ ' Said Kurama.

'Yeah, that it does. Wonder if word reached the old man yet.' Thought Naruto.

Kurama looked ahead of them and saw someone approaching them.

 _ **'Don't look now, but I think you're about to find out**_.' Said Kurama, whispering in Naruto's ear.

Naruto took notice to the jounin approaching him. He had a stern look on his face, which was concerning Naruto.

' _What do you think? Run, fight, or see what he wants?_ ' thought Naruto.

' _ **If it was me, I'd fight. But since it's you, I'd see what he wants**_.' Said Kurama as he dissipated his form.

Naruto stopped in his tracks and the jounin walked right up to him. "Naruto Uzumaki. The Hokage wishes to speak to you." He said.

Naruto had a feeling he knew why.

"Ok. Sure. Lead the way." Said Naruto.

The jounin just cringed slightly at Naruto and the two headed for the Hokage tower. During the trip, Naruto began to ponder what the Third was going to say to him. It wasn't like the Third didn't know what Naruto was up to. Naruto knew he was always watching him. The only question he had was what was he going to say this time.

When they arrived at the tower, the secretary showed them inside the Hokage's office. There, Naruto saw the 3rd hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sitting at his desk, and Hiashi Hyuuga standing to the side along with his guards.

"I've brought the "child", lord Hokage." Said the jounin.

"Thank you. You are dismissed." Said Sarutobi.

The jounin nodded and he left the office. Naruto just stood there with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Sarutobi to ask the question he was expecting. Kurama reappeared next to Naruto and looked at Hiashi.

' _ **Huh, he looks pissed**_ ' said Kurama

Naruto silently agreed with the 9 tailed fox.

"Naruto, as I'm sure you've probably heard, the Hyuuga estate was broken into last night. What you might not have heard is that a large sum of money was stolen from their vault. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" said Sarutobi.

Just as Naruto expected. He looked over at Hiashi, who was staring him down with a look of suspicion and hate. This didn't bother Naruto one bit. He looked back to Sarutobi.

"No jiji. I don't know anything about that. Sorry." Said Naruto, in an honest tone of voice.

Kurama chuckled to himself. ' _ **I swear, your acting skills are getting worse.**_ ' He said.

' _Like you could do better?_ ' thought Naruto.

' _ **I could, if you gave me control**_ ' said Kurama.

' _In your dreams.'_ Thought Naruto.

Kurama only laughed at Naruto's statement.

Sarutobi nodded and leaned back in his chair and he looked to the Hyuuga clan leader.

"See Hiashi. I told you he didn't know anything about the crime." Said Sarutobi.

Hiashi didn't stop glaring daggers into Naruto.

"I have my doubts, lord Hokage." He said.

"Hiashi, be rational about this. You think Naruto is capable of entering your home, knocking your guards unconscious, and stealing a large sum of money? I highly doubt that your guards would let a child beat them so easily." Said Sarutobi.

Hiashi knew Sarutobi's logic was sound, but nothing was logical to him when it came to Naruto.

"If you say so, Sarutobi. We'll conduct a further investigation, but I want access to Naruto's apartment, just to be sure." Said Hiashi.

"Very well. Now then, I do believe I have to discuss a few things with Naruto here. You may go." Said Sarutobi.

Hiashi nodded "Very well." He said.

Hiashi and his guards soon started to leave, but not before Hiashi stared one last time at Naruto. Naruto looked back at Hiashi and gave a slight smile to him. Kurama on the other hand stuck out his tongue pulled his eye lid down in a mocking fashion.

Once the Hyuuga's were out of the office, Sarutobi stood up and walked towards the door. He then placed his hand on it and a wave of chakra flowed all over the room. Naruto knew that Sarutobi had sound proofed the room, so they could really talk. Sarutobi sat back down at his desk and just looked at Naruto with a look of disappointment.

"What?" said Naruto.

"Naruto, the Hyuuga estate? Did you really steal from them, of all people?" said Sarutobi.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Said Naruto.

"Of course you don't." sighed Sarutobi.

' _ **He needs really needs a sense of humor.**_ ' Said Kurama.

"I don't see what the big deal is, old man. It's not like they don't have enough money." Said Naruto.

"That's not the point Naruto. You took a huge risk stealing from the Hyuugas. If you have gotten caught, there wouldn't be any way for me to protect you." Said Sarutobi.

"But I didn't get caught." Said Naruto.

"So now your saying you were there." Said Sarutobi.

"There was no proof I was." Said Naruto.

Sarutobi sighed. "Naruto, when will this stealing and thieving stop? You can't keep doing this forever." He said.

"I don't know. Seems to working out so far." Said Naruto.

' _ **Very well, after last night**_ ' said Kurama.

"And when it doesn't, what then?" said Sarutobi.

Naruto shrugged. Sarutobi just rubbed the side of his head and sighed.

"Naruto, you know I care about you. But there will come a time where I can no longer protect you. And when it comes, you'll be on your own. For that reason, this is why I asked you to come here." Said Sarutobi.

"What are you getting at, old man?" said Naruto.

It was then Sarutobi pulled out a piece of paper and placed it on his desk.

' _ **This ought to be good.**_ ' Said Kurama.

"What's that?" asked Naruto.

"This is the only way I can protect you from now on. I've signed you up for the ninja academy." Said Sarutobi.

Naruto was shocked at this. "You WHAT?!" said Naruto.

Kurama cringed at Naruto's yell.

' _ **Didn't see that one coming.**_ ' Said Kurama

"You heard me, Naruto. You are going to train as a ninja." Said Sarutobi.

"You can't be serious. You didn't even bother to ask me about this." said Naruto.

"Because I knew you would just say no and go back to stealing. Think of this as a new start Naruto. Not only will you train as a ninja, but you'll have my complete protection from the villagers. They won't be able to touch you once you become a part of my ninja force." Said Sarutobi.

' _ **Well, when he puts it like that…**_ ' said Kurama.

"But I don't even want to be a ninja. I hate them. Why would you want me to become something I don't want to be?" said Naruto.

"Naruto…" said Sarutobi.

"Does this have anything to do with my parents?" asked Naruto.

Sarutobi was silent. Kurama could easily see the discomfort in the Hokage's face.

' _ **I think you struck a nerve, kit**_ ' said Kurama.

"It does, doesn't it?" said Naruto.

All Sarutobi could do was nod.

"I thought so." Said Naruto.

"Naruto, I know this is a big change for you, but it's for the best. You'll be protected from the villagers and it'll give you a fresh start. Just trust me on this." Said Sarutobi.

' _ **Sure, trust an old man that has no time for you, gave you useless body guards, and a run down apartment that get set on fire every other week.**_ ' Said Kurama, sarcastically.

Naruto had to agree with Kurama on that point. He didn't want to trust him, but by the look on Sarutobi's face, it didn't look like he was going to take no for an answer. Naruto just sighed and he snatched the paper from Sautobi's hand.

"Fine. I'll go through the academy. But that doesn't mean I won't stop my other 'activities'." Said Naruto.

"As long as you become a ninja, that's all I care about. You start the academy in 3 days. Don't be late." Said Sarutobi.

"Yeah, sure." Said Naruto bitterly, as he headed for the door.

Kurama started to follow behind Naruto, and just shook his head at Sarutobi. He then dissipated his form as he followed Naruto out the door.

"Naruto…" said Sarutobi.

"I'll see you around, old man." Said Naruto.

He walked out of Sarutobi's office and started to head for the exit. He got about halfway there before he was stopped by Hiashi Hyuuga and his guards.

"Something wrong Lord Hiashi?" asked Naruto, innocently.

Hiashi just glared daggers into Naruto and said "I know it was you who stole from me. I might not be able to prove it now, but I'll find something to prove it was you."

Naruto was smirking in his mind and Kurama was just laughing.

"As I said before, I have no idea what you're talking about. And as Jiji said, how could a kid like me break into your house and steal a bunch of money? It doesn't seem possible." Said Naruto.

"Maybe not to the Hokage, but I know you're a thief, and I'll prove it. One way, or another." Said Hiashi.

"Well if you are, you might want to do it soon. Jiji just signed me up for the ninja academy and I start in a couple days."

This was a surprise to Hiashi and his guards.

"Well, I'm going to go get some ramen. Goodbye, lord Hiashi." Said Naruto, as he bowed honorably to Hiashi.

He then walked towards the exit, leaving Hiashi and his guards standing there, looking at each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

The ninja academy; where the children of Konoha come to train as ninjas. The one place Naruto didn't want to be. For the last 3 days all Naruto did was complain about Sarutobi signing him up behind his back and being forced to come here. Today was no different. Naruto just stood at the entrance to the academy and stared at the building. Kurama appeared next to him with an exhausted look on his face.

' _I can't believe I have to go through with this. What was the old man thinking signing me up to train as a ninja?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _I believe he said he did that to protect you from the villagers._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto rolled his eyes. ' _And just what are they gonna do? I don't need the old man to protect me from the villagers. I can take care of myself._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Believe me, I know. You've been saying that for the last 3 days._** ' Said Kurama as he looked at Naruto with a half-lidded expression.

' _Could you at least pretend like you're trying to help me? Ugh… there's gotta be a way out of this._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _There is._** ' Said Kurama, as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms.

' _Really? How?_ ' thought Naruto.

Kurama sighed ' ** _Seriously, kit? Do I have to spell it out for you?_** ' said Kurama.

' _You could try, but we don't exactly have all day._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Oh, how I really want to smack you in the head right now._** ' Said Kurama, pinching the bridge of his nose.

' _Just tell me how to get out of this._ ' thought Naruto.

Kurama looked at Naruto with an annoyed look.

' ** _Flunk out._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto just stood there for a moment and then smacked himself in the head

' _Why didn't I think of that?_ ' he thought.

' ** _Because you're not a genius._** ' Said Kurama.

' _I wasn't talking to you._ ' Thought Naruto.

Kurama just chuckled to himself.

' _Well, better get this over with._ ' Thought Naruto, as he started to make his way into the academy with Kurama following close behind.

Walking through the academy was a new experience for Naruto. Every other room he passed was just a classroom full of students. Naruto couldn't understand how kids like them could just sit there for hours at a time listening to the instructors go on about being a ninja. Naruto knew he would probably be bored out of his mind if he didn't flunk out of here. Eventually, Naruto and Kurama ran into the head instructor, who spotted him wandering the halls.

The head instructor looked at Naruto with disgust and said "What are you doing here, brat?"

Naruto handed him the note from the hokage and said "Read this."

The head instructor read the note and after a moment, he sighed. "I was told you were signed up, but I didn't believe it. Why the hokage would want you to be a ninja is a complete mystery to me." He said, bitterly.

"I'm not exactly thrilled about this either, you know. Training to be a ninja is the last thing I want to be doing right now." Said Naruto.

The head instructor scoffed. "Yeah, and training a monster like you is the last thing anyone want to be doing." He said.

' ** _Was he referring to me?_** ' said Kurama, chuckling to himself.

Naruto remained focused on the instructor. He brought his hands back behind his head and smiled.

"Well, don't worry about that. Give me a couple days and I'll flunk outta here no problem." Said Naruto.

Just as he finished that sentence they were interrupted by a sudden appearance of an ANBU ninja.

"I have a message from the hokage." he said.

He handed the letter to the head instructor, and then disappeared without a trace.

' ** _Anyone else think that was a bit too convenient?_** ' said Kurama, looking to Naruto.

The head instructor read the letter and his face cringed.

 _'I don't like the look of that face._ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Now kit, don't make fun of the ugly man._** ' Teased Kurama.

' _I'm being serious, Kurama._ ' Thought Naruto.

The head instructor looked at Naruto and said

"Well, bad news for both of us. Apparently the hokage caught on to your little 'flunk out' plan and has advised me to make sure you stay here until you graduate."

Naruto face palmed himself.

' _Damn it!_ ' he thought.

' ** _Well, there goes that plan._** ' Said Kyuubi.

' _You're not helping_!' Thought Naruto.

He shifted focus back on the instructor and said

"So basically, the old man just made the academy my prison?"

The head instructor crossed his arms "Looks that way." He said.

"Well, great. I guess we're both stuck in hell now." Said Naruto.

"Let's just get you to your class so I can be rid of you." Said the head instructor.

"Awww, and here I thought we were gonna be best friends." Said Naruto.

The head instructor led Naruto and Kurama through the academy until they came to one of the classrooms.

"Wait here." He said.

"I'd rather not." Said Naruto.

The head instructor groaned with annoyance at Naruto, as he entered the classroom. Naruto leaned against the wall, with his hands in his sweatshirt pockets, thinking about other ways to get out of the academy.

His thoughts were soon interrupted when the head instructor came out with a man wearing a green jounin vest and a scar across his nose.

"He's your problem now." Said the head instructor as he left.

The man with the scar looked at Naruto and said "Well, you must be Naruto. It's nice to meet you. I'm your new sensei, Iruka Umino."

He held out his hand to Naruto, but Naruto just looked at the man with an eyebrow raised.

"Is something wrong?" asked Iruka.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but acting friendly towards me doesn't exactly make me trust you." Said Naruto.

Iruka retracted his hand. "I understand. I know about your situation and how others see you. But I can assure you that I won't treat you the same as the others. You'll be treated like every other student." Said Iruka.

"Yeah, sure I will." Said Naruto.

"Come on, don't be like that. You'll have a great time here." Said Iruka.

' _ **Oooh, this guy's very convincing.**_ ' Said Kurama.

"Being forced into becoming a ninja and imprisoned in this academy until I graduate doesn't exactly scream 'great time'." Said Naruto.

"Well, that might change after you spend a couple days here. Just give it a chance." Said Iruka.

' _ **This guy doesn't know you very well, does he**_.' Said Kurama.

Naruto could only sigh at that statement. He really didn't want to give the training a chance. But then a thought occurred to him. Maybe he could make a deal with Iruka. Upon realizing this, Kurama looked to Naruto.

' _ **Don't do it, kit.**_ ' Sighed Kurama.

"Tell you what Iruka. How about we make a deal?" said Naruto.

Kurama sighed in annoyance. ' _ **And you did it.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Iruka raised an eyebrow "What kind of deal?" he asked.

"I'll stay in the academy for 3 days. If I don't like the training, I get to leave and never come back." Said Naruto.

"And what if you do like it." Said Iruka.

"Then I'll stay and become a ninja." Said Naruto.

While Iruka pondered over the deal, Kurama moved between the two of them and looked at Naruto.

' ** _Are you sure that's a good deal kit? You said it yourself that you had no intentions of becoming a ninja._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto could understand Kurama's concern.

' _Relax Kurama. However this deal goes, I still win._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _How so?_** ' asked Kurama.

' _Well, if I say I don't like it, I can leave and enjoy my freedom. If I end up staying with it and become a ninja, I can go to the old man and resign. Plus I could still try to flunk out and annoy the instructors. In any case, I win._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _And you really think that'll work._** ' said Kurama.

' _Hey, it's worth a shot._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Oh, I can't wait to see how this goes._** ' Said Kurama, sarcastically.

' _You never were very supportive._ ' Thought Naruto.

As Iruka finished pondering the deal, Kurama moved out of the way so Naruto could talk to him.

"Alright Naruto. You have a deal. But let's make it five days." Iruka.

Naruto nodded and said "Fine, five days."

The two shook hands on it and the deal was made, though Naruto thought he had the better end of the deal.

"Well, shall we go meet the rest of your class?" said Iruka.

"Why not?" said Naruto.

' _It's not like I'm gonna see them again._ ' He thought.

The three of them entered the classroom and Iruka stood before the class while Naruto and Kurama stood off to the side. Iruka cleared his throat and addressed the class.

"Alright class. Today we have a new student joining us today. Allow me to introduce Naruto Uzumaki." Said Iruka.

Iruka motioned Naruto to walk over to where he was. Naruto was a little apprehensive, but walked over regardless. Naruto stood before the class and just looked at each of the students. From what he saw, he noticed a boy who was half asleep, another who was eating a bag of chips, a third boy with a dog lying on his head, two girls, one with pink hair, and the other blonde, sitting on either side to a raven haired boy with a emotionless expression on his face. The two girls were less interested in Naruto and more interested on the boy they sat next to. And then he noticed the pale-eyed Hyuuga. She sat two rows back from the front and was staring at Naruto intently. When she noticed Naruto looking at her, she quickly looked away and blushed.

' ** _Oh brother. If this is the future of Konoha's ninja force, you guys are in real trouble._** ' Said Kurama.

' _Glad to see you have complete faith in us.'_ Thought Naruto, sarcastically.

"So Naruto, why don't you tell the class a little about yourself." Said Iruka.

Naruto looked at Iruka with a confused look.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well, how old are you, for starters." Said Iruka.

"Uh… I'm 10." Said Naruto, awkwardly.

"Ok, and do you have a favorite food?" said Iruka.

"Well… I like ramen. Are these questions really important?" Said Naruto.

"Well, it help us understand who you are and to get to know you better." Said Iruka.

"O…k?" said Naruto.

' _ **This guy's very strange. Wonder how he became an instructor.**_ ' Said Kurama.

"So, do you have any favorite hobbies?" asked Iruka.

' ** _Stealing, swindling, blackmailing, pickpocketing…_** ' said Kurama, as he counted each 'hobby' on his hand.

"No, I don't have any hobbies." Said Naruto.

"Oh, ok. Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, why don't you go ahead and take a seat next in the empty chair next to Choji." Said Iruka.

Naruto looked over and saw the empty chair next to the kid eating the chips. He started to make his way to the chair. The other students eyed Naruto as he made his way to his seat.

' ** _Feeling awkward yet?_** ' asked Kurama, jokingly.

' _Real funny Kurama._ ' Thought Naruto.

Naruto sat down in his seat and Iruka began teaching his lesson. Naruto just sat in his seat, already bored with what Iruka was teaching.

' _Ugh, this is going to be a long five days. Well, at least I can talk to you in the mean time. Right Kurama?_ ' thought Naruto.

Silence filled Naruto's head.

' _Kurama?_ ' thought Naruto.

Naruto then heard faint snoring and he looked over to where Kurama was. He was fast asleep at the front of the classroom, resting his head in his hand.

' _Seriously!? You choose now to fall asleep!? (sigh) Perfect._ ' Thought Naruto, annoyed.

A short while later, it was time for a lunch break. All of the students headed for the picnic area just outside the academy. Naruto looked around for a spot to sit at and eventually found a swing that hung from a nearby tree. Naruto sat down on the swing and just put his face in his hands and sighed. He lifted his head and slouched forward.

' _I can't believe this is how they train ninjas. I would've thought they taught fighting techniques and using weapons, not sit in a classroom for hours on end._ ' Thought Naruto.

At that moment, Kurama reappeared next to Naruto and looked at the exhausted boy.

' ** _Well, look on the bright side. You only have to deal with it just for four more days._** ' Said Kurama.

' _Oh, so now you just wake up? You couldn't stay awake during that boring class session?_ ' thought Naruto, annoyed.

' ** _What can I say, I was bored to exhaustion._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto just sighed and thought ' _You're such a pain in my…_ '

Before Naruto could finish his thought, he heard a growling sound come from his stomach.

' _Damn. Wish I brought some ramen with me._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Well that's you fault for not thinking ahead._** ' Said Kurama, poking at Naruto's head.

' _I can't exactly predict the future you know. Sucks that I can't leave to get something to eat._ ' Thought Naruto.

Just as Naruto finished his thought, he noticed that someone held out an unopened bag of chips in front of him. He looked up at the owner of the bag and saw Choji standing there with the lazy kid from earlier.

"Here, you gotta be hungry." Said Choji.

Naruto looked at the bag of chips and then back to Choji. He wasn't used to people actually giving him something. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Go on. Take it. They're honey barbeque flavored." Said Choji.

The growling in Naruto's stomach was starting to bother him. Hesitantly, Naruto took the back of chips and said

"Uh… thanks."

Choji smiled and said "No problem. Happy to help out a new friend."

Naruto just looked at Choji with a confused look.

"Friend?" he said.

"Well, yeah. Friends help each other out. That's what I was told." Said Choji.

"He's heard that many times from his dad." Said the lazy kid.

"Well it's true." Said Choji.

Naruto opened the bag of chips and started eating them. It was still an uneasy feeling for Naruto receiving something from someone.

"So, do you like them?" asked Choji.

Naruto looked at Choji and nodded.

"Yeah. They're not bad." Said Naruto.

"Glad to hear that." Said Choji, as he sat down on the ground in front of Naruto.

The lazy kid reluctantly lied down beside the two and placed his hands behind his head.

"Name's Choji Akamichi, by the way. I would've introduced myself earlier, but Iruka-sensei doesn't like it when we talk during class." Said Choji, as he pulled out another bag of chips.

The lazy kid sighed and said "How many bags do you have anyway?"

Choji laughed.

"Come on Shikamaru. You know I always carry an emergency stash just in case."

Naruto looked at the lazy kid and said "You're name's Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed and said "Yeah, Shikamaru Nara."

Naruto recognized the name.

"Nara. Isn't your dad like a big shot strategist or something?" asked Naruto.

Shikamaru groaned lazily. "Yeah. That's him." He said.

' ** _Didn't you pickpocketed that man a couple months ago?_** ' said Kurama.

' _Uh… maybe._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **Can you say awkward?**_ ' said Kurama.

"Anyway, I guess we should tell you who everyone else is." Said Choji.

"You mean, you'll tell him who they are." Said Shikamaru.

"Uh, right. I'll tell you about them." Said Choji.

He first looked at the boy with the white puppy sitting next to him.

"That over there is Kiba Inuzuka. The puppy is his partner Akamaru."

He looked around and then spotted Hinata.

"That girl over there in the tan coat is Hinata Hyuuga. She's…" Choji started to say but Naruto interrupted.

"She's the Hyuuga heiress and daughter to Hiashi Hyuuga."

Choji was surprised Naruto knew that.

"Well, yeah. How'd you know?" said Choji.

"It kinda wasn't hard to figure out." Said Naruto.

Choji laughed. "Yeah. I guess the Hyuuga's are pretty well-known." He said.

Just then, the three of them heard a faint love filled cooing coming from the other end of the picnic area. They looked over and spotted the pink haired and blonde girls staring at the raven-haired boy.

"Oh, brother. Are they staring at him again?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yeah, they are." Said Choji.

"Wanna fill me in?" asked Naruto.

Choji looked at Naruto and said "Oh, right. So, the girl with the pink hair is Sakura Haruno and the blonde girl is Ino Yamanaka. Those two are always competing over Sasuke."

Shikamaru then added "No idea why it's so important for them to be Sasuke's girlfriend. If you ask me, it's troublesome."

Naruto looked over at the two ladies and then to the boy. He had a serious expression on his face, but seemed like he was playing it cool.

"What's his story?" asked Naruto. Choji looked at Sasuke and he sighed.

"He's Sasuke Uchiha. You probably know him as the last Uchiha." He said, sadly.

Naruto did know him by that name. He's heard many rumors about the Uchiha massacre and what happened to Sauske. Some of the villagers tried to blame him for the massacre, but those rumors were put to rest.

"So, that's the last Uchiha." Said Naruto.

"Yeah. That's him. It's really sad what happened to his family. He pretty much had to raise himself after his family was killed. After that, he started to train himself to be a ninja and eventually ended up here in the academy. He's at the top of our class." Said Choji.

"So, he's the best student here?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah." Said Choji.

Naruto just stared at Sasuke with some interest. Kurama was also just as interested and looked at Naruto.

' ** _A boy who is on his own and had to raise himself. Remind you of anyone?_** ' said Kurama.

' _I technically wasn't on my own._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _How so?_** ' asked Kurama.

' _I had you, remember?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Aww, you're gonna make me cry._** ' Said Kurama, sarcastically.

Naruto chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Choji.

Naruto looked at Choji and said "Nothing. He just reminded me of someone."

Choji then asked "Really? Who?"

Naruto finished the bag of chips and said "It's not important."

Just then, they heard Iruka calling "Alright class. Back to the classroom."

Shikamaru sighed as he lazily stood back up.

"What a drag. I wish these classes didn't last so long." He said.

"Yeah, they are kinda boring." Said Choji.

Naruto chuckled. "I couldn't agree with you more on that." He said.

Shikamaru and Choji took the lead, while Naruto stood up from the swing. Kurama placed his arm around Naruto's shoulder and nudged him.

' ** _Well look at that, you're bonding with your new friends._** ' Teased Kurama.

' _You're gonna fall back asleep once we're in the classroom again, aren't you._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _You know me so well._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto could only sigh in annoyance as he began to follow the rest of the class back into the academy. This was going to be an interesting four days.

* * *

 **AN: Well, that's the end of that. Next chapter will come soon. In the meantime, check out "Ideas for stories" in my stories list and if any of them seem like something to write about then let me know. Any questions, just ask. Until next time...**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hey guys. Got this done sooner than i thought. Hope it goes well...**

* * *

Three days have gone by since Naruto's first day at the academy, and he hated every minute of being there. All they did in the academy was sit in the classroom and listen to Iruka give his lectures. Naruto would try to make the time go faster by having internal conversations with Kurama, but the 9 tailed fox usually fell asleep by the time they entered the classroom, much to Naruto's annoyance. The only bright side was that he was building some trust between Shikamaru and Chouji. Not that it would matter, since by the end of the week Naruto would swindle his way out of the academy and to his freedom.

Right now, Naruto was just walking out of the academy with Shikamaru and Chouji. He stretched out his arms and said

"I swear, each class seems to get more and more boring. How do you guys deal with that?"

Shikamaru just yawned and said "You just do. It might be a drag, but that's just how the training goes."

Chouji nodded "He's right about that. The only fun part is the sparing matches." He said.

This caught Naruto's interest.

"Sparing matches?" he asked.

"Yeah. There are some days we do some sparing, but we never exactly know when. It's usually a surprise." Said Chouji.

"Doubt we'll have another sparing day any time soon." Said Shikamaru.

"That's a shame." Said Naruto.

At that moment, Kurama appeared next to Naruto and floated upside down in front of him.

' ** _What are you so bummed about? It's not like your gonna be in the academy long enough to even try sparing._** ' Said Kurama.

' _Still sounded fun, though._ ' Thought Naruto.

"Well, I'm gonna head home. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Said Chouji.

"Yeah, see ya." Said Shikamaru.

The two headed for home, and Naruto headed for his shack, going the opposite way with Kurama following by his side.

' _So, how many days until I'm out?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Two more. Not much longer until you get your sweet taste of freedom. That is, if your plan works._** ' Said Kurama.

 _'I'm positive it'll work. We made a deal with Iruka. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that would go back on his word._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **First of all, I never made a deal with that man, you did. And second,**_ ** _you do remember that you can't trust everyone, right?_** ' said Kurama.

' _I know. But sometimes you just gotta take a chance._ ' Thought Naruto.

Just as he reached the halfway point to his shack Naruto noticed something. Something that he's been noticing for the past couple days.

' _I'm being followed again._ ' He thought.

' ** _The Hokage's ninjas?_** ' asked Kurama.

' _No, I think it's the same person from yesterday and the day before._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Well, that ninja training is really paying off for him, isn't it?_** **'** said Kurama, sarcastically.

' _You're sarcasm's really starting to get annoying._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _No it's not. You enjoy my sarcasm_**.' Said Kurama.

' _Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Right now, I think it's time I introduced myself to my stalker._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Just don't be too gentle with him._** ' Said Kurama, as his form dissipated from existence.

Naruto kept walking at a steady pace, making sure not to lose his follower. He eventually made a turn into a nearby alleyway and disappeared among the shadows. The follower quickly followed Naruto down the alleyway, but once there, Naruto disappeared without a trace. Cautiously, the follower walked down the alleyway, trying to find any sign that Naruto was there. Before the follower could even think to do anything, a bunch of red chains wrapped around the follower's body and lifted her off the ground. The follower was now hanging upside down and she was now in a panic, struggling to get free.

"So, you wanna tell me why you were following me?" said a voice.

The follower froze as she saw Naruto standing before her.

Naruto approached the follower and said "Well, aren't you gonna say…"

But he stopped midsentence when he realized that his follower was a certain pale eyed, black haired, heiress. He had caught Hinata Hyuuga in his trap. Hinata just looked at Naruto wish some blush on her cheeks and a nervous look. Naruto knew he must've scared her a little. At that moment, Kurama had reappeared and looked at the Hyuuga heiress before looking at Naruto.

' _Well, this is awkward._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Because she followed you for a couple days and you have her in a trap, or because you robbed her family blind in the middle of the night._** ' said Kurama.

' _Let's say both and just move on._ ' Thought Naruto.

Naruto gently Hinata down from his chain trap. Once released Hinata managed to shakily get to her feet.

"You're in my class at the academy, right?" said Naruto.

Hinata flinched a little when Naruto spoke.

"Uh, y-y-yeah. I-I am." She said, nervously.

"Well, I guess it's nice to meet you, though circumstances could've been different." Said Naruto.

Hinata blushed even more and looked away embarrassed. This was the last thing she wanted to happen to her.

"So, why were you following me?" asked Naruto.

Hinata looked at Naruto with an embarrassed look, but when she did, she had this feeling that was overwhelming her.

"Are you ok?" asked Naruto.

The feeling was really overtaking Hinata and she could barely speak.

"I-I… I…". She tried to say, but she then started to fall.

"Oh no, no, no!" said Naruto, as he quickly moved to catch Hinata.

He gently lowered her onto the ground and just looked at her, completely unsure of what to do.

' _She just… fainted._ ' He thought.

' ** _Well, that's a good quality in a ninja._** ' Teased Kurama.

' _Shut up. (sigh) what should I do with her?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Leave her._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto gently laid Hinata on the ground and he started to walk away with Kurama. But just as he took his first couple steps, he stopped in his tracks. A feeling of guilt was starting to build, and it was getting Kurama's attention. The nine tailed fox stopped in his tracks and saw Naruto standing still, seeing the guilt on his face.

' ** _Kit, don't even think about it._** ' Said Kurama.

But Naruto did think about it as he looked back at the unconscious Hinata. He knew he couldn't leave her lying there like that. As reluctant as he originally felt, Naruto started to walk back to Hinata.

' ** _Kit, just leave her. She'll wake up eventually and head home._** ' Said Kurama, moving back towards Naruto.

' _I'm not leaving her out here like this. I'm gonna bring her back and she'll stay with us until she wakes up_ ** _._** ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _It's a bad idea, kit. You don't know what she'll do once she's awake. Not to mention that when her family realizes she's missing they'll immediately start looking for you._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto gently lifted Hinata up and started to carry her bridal style.

' _It doesn't matter. I'm bringing her home and that's that._ ' Thought Naruto.

 _'_ ** _I still think it's a bad idea._** ' Said Kurama, looking away feeling indignant.

' _You wanna try to stop me, fine! But last time I checked, you were sealed inside_ _ **my**_ _body. So as of right now, it's_ _ **my**_ _decision._ ' Thought Naruto, angrily.

Kurama could only sigh in annoyance.

' ** _Very well, kit. But don't say I didn't warn you._** ' Said Kurama, as his form faded away to nothing.

With that, Naruto started to carry Hinata back to his shack.

Unknown time later:

Hinata started to regain consciousness and she slowly started to open her eyes. Her vision started to clear as she started to see the roof of an unfamiliar room. She carefully sat herself up and realized she was on a bed. She didn't know where she was. As she looked around the room, she noticed that nearly everything looked old and worn out. Even the walls and roof had a weather beaten look to it.

"So, you're awake."

Hinata quickly looked in the voice's direction and saw Naruto sitting at the table, and though she couldn't see him, Kurama was sitting next to Naruto as well. Hinata couldn't feel herself starting to tremble.

'W-Where am I?" she asked, nervously.

"You're in my home. I brought you here after you fainted." Said Naruto.

Embarrassment was the first thing that came to Hinata's mind and she blushed.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I d-didn't mean to…" she said.

"Don't worry about it. There's no reason to be nervous. I'm not gonna hurt you." Said Naruto.

That brought little comfort to Hinata, but she still felt embarrassed about fainting in front of Naruto.

"So, are you gonna tell me why you were following me?" said Naruto.

Hinata looked away and she put her two index fingers together.

"W-W-Well, I… I j-just wanted to see you again." She said.

"But, you see me at the academy everyday." Said Naruto.

"N-No, b-before that. W-We actually m-met before the academy." Said Hinata.

"We have?" said Naruto.

' ** _You have?_** ' said Kurama, looking at Naruto.

Hinata nodded.

"And, how exactly did we meet?" asked Naruto.

' ** _Queue the flashback._** ' sighed Kurama.

 _4 years ago:_

 _Winter had come to Konoha and snow covered the village. Everything seemed serine and peaceful, except for the sound of children teasing._

 _"S-Stop, please." Cried a 6 year old Hinata._

 _"I don't know. Should we stop?" teased a boy._

 _"No way. We're having too much fun." Said another boy, jokingly._

 _"Yeah, maybe we could have some more fun with this fraidy cat." Said a third boy._

 _"Let's bury her in the snow." Said the second boy._

 _"Better yet, let's take that pretty necklace of hers and toss it in the river." Said the first boy._

 _"N-No! Please don't!" cried Hinata._

 _Just as the 3 boys started to advance towards Hinata, one of them felt a snowball hit him in the back of the head._

 _"WHO DID THAT!" he shouted._

 _They all looked back and they saw a boy with spikey blonde hair and whisker like marks on his cheeks, holding another snowball. It was 6-year-old Naruto._

 _"You threw that!" stated the first boy, angrily._

 _"Well, aren't you captain obvious. So, you gonna leave her alone?" Said Naruto._

 _"What do you care? This has nothing to do with you." Said the third boy._

 _"Well, to be honest I kinda don't. I was just about to walk away, but there was this nagging thought in my head that told me I should step in. I guess I just have that feeling that people who treat others like crap should be punished." Said Naruto._

 _"So, what? You're gonna teach us a lesson?" asked the second boy._

 _Naruto shrugged "Why not? I've got nothing else to do." He said._

 _Naruto then threw the snowball at the boy's hitting the first one in the face._

 _"That's it! GET HIM!" shouted the first boy._

 _The three bullies charged at Naruto, ready to pummel him into the snow. Naruto just smiled and just as the first boy threw a punch, Naruto quickly dodged the punch and tripped the first boy, causing him to fall into the snow. Then the second boy threw a punch to the back of Naruto's head, but Naruto ducked down and leg-swept the boy's legs. The second boy fell and hit the ground, hard. Just as the third boy tried to grab Naruto, Naruto jumped over the third boy and quickly spin kicked him while midair in the back, causing the third boy to collide with the second. As the three bullies got to their feet, they felt themselves being tied up and lifted off the ground._

 _"What the…" said the first boy. As they continued to rise, they noticed the red glowing chains wrapped around them. When they traced the chains back over a tree branch, they saw that the chains were coming from Naruto's hands._

 _"Put us down!" demanded the second boy._

 _Naruto had finished tying his chains around a nearby tree as he said "Nah, I think I'll leave you up there for a while."_

 _The bullies struggled to get free, but it was no use._

 _"Come on, let us go!" said the third boy._

 _Naruto crossed his arms_

 _"Oh, I'll let you go, after you apologize to this girl for what you did." He said._

 _"Forget it. We're not apologizing for anything." Said the first boy._

 _Naruto sighed. "Fine. Then you'll stay up there. Of course, it does get a little colder during the night. You guys might freeze over and it could be a while before someone finds you." Said Naruto._

 _The bullies looked at each other, and they all thought the same thing._

 _"Ok, ok, just let us down." Said the third boy._

 _"After you apologize." Said Naruto._

 _The boys looked at Hinata and reluctantly said "We're sorry."_

 _Just as they finished their apology, Naruto snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared. The boys fell to the ground and they started to run away. Naruto just sighed as he watched the bullies run._

 _"Some people." He said._

 _He looked back at Hinata, who just stared at him in amazement._

 _"You ok?" he asked._

 _Hinata didn't answer._ _She wasn't sure what to say. All she could do to respond is nod nervously._

 _"Alright, that's good." Said Naruto._

 _He noticed that Hinata was trembling._

 _"You cold?" he asked._

 _Hinata was still silent, and she didn't respond at all. Naruto thought it was strange that she wasn't saying anything, but just shrugged at the thought. He took off the red scarf that he was wearing and held it out to Hinata._

 _"Here." he said._

 _Hinata looked at the scarf and then at Naruto, unsure of what to do._

 _"Go on. Take it. It'll keep you warm." Said Naruto._

 _Hinata looked back of the scarf and hesitantly took it. She stared at the scarf in her hands, unsure of what to say._

 _"Well, I guess I'll see ya around." Said Naruto._

 _Hinata quickly looked back up and saw Naruto walking away. She wanted to say something to him, but no words could reach her lips. She could only watch as Naruto walked away._

Present day:

"A-After you left, I-I thought I w-wasn't going to s-see you again. But th-then you came t-to the academy, a-and, well, I-I've been trying t-to find the courage t-to talk to you." Said Hinata.

Naruto clearly remembered what happened that day. He hadn't thought about his actions that day in years, and the sudden memory made him smile.

"Oh yeah. I remember that. That was you, wasn't it? Hard to believe that we would see each other again after all these years. Heck, I didn't even know you were the Hyuuga heiress at the time." Said Naruto.

Hinata was surprised by what he said.

"H-How did you know that?" she asked.

"Well, your family's kinda well-known in the village. Plus, your eyes gave it away." Said Naruto.

Hinata blushed slightly and looked away.

"Hey, no need to feel embarrassed. It's not your fault you have pretty eyes." Said Naruto.

Hinata looked at Naruto with surprise.

"P-Pretty eyes?" she asked.

Naruto realized what he said and he couldn't believe he said that. Kurama couldn't believe what Naruto said either, staring at the boy with an eyebrow raised.

' ** _Smooth kit. Real smooth._** ' Said Kurama.

Ignoring Kurama's comment, Naruto tried to catch himself.

"W-Well, I mean, uh, your eyes, they're, uh… u-unique. It's not like there's a lot of people with eyes like yours." Said Naruto, nervously as he placed his hand behind his head.

Hinata's blushed only got worse.

' ** _Keep it up kit. She might faint again._** ' teased Kurama.

' _You're not helping!_ ' Thought Naruto.

Thinking quickly, Naruto decided to change the subject before he could make things worse.

"It's getting late. You should probably head home." said Naruto.

After recovering somewhat from Naruto's comment, Hinata looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"H-How long was I out?" asked Hinata.

"About 2 hours, give or take." Said Naruto.

Hinata was surprised by how long she was unconscious for.

"T-Two hours? Oh no. M-My father's gonna b-be mad at me. I-I should've been h-home a w-while ago." Said Hinata.

"Well, I'm sure he wont be that mad." Said Naruto.

"Y-You don't know my father. H-He's very s-strict. H-He's gonna punish me for being late." Said Hinata, worriedly.

Naruto sighed "Look, why don't I go with you. I'll walk you home and explain everything to him. Ok?" he said.

Hinata was surprised by Naruto's offer.

"O-Oh, no, y-you don't h-have to do that." She said.

"It'll be fine. Just trust me on this. I'll explain everything to your father and everything will be alright." Said Naruto.

' ** _And just how are you going to explain that?_** ' said Kurama.

' _I have no idea, but I'll think of something._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _If you say so. But just in case you fail, it was nice knowing you._** ' Said Kurama, as he disappeared.

' _Thanks._ ' Thought Naruto, annoyed.

"So what do you say?" He said to Hinata.

Hinata was silent for a moment.

"W-Well, i-if you think i-it'll help, then o-ok." She said.

"Alright, let's get you home." Said Naruto.

The two of them stepped out of Naruto's shack and Naruto made a symbol with his hands, making the shack disappear. Hinata didn't understand why Naruto concealed his home.

"W-Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Call it security." Said Naruto.

They then started their trip to the Hyuuga compound. The walk seemed different to Hinata. She noticed that some of the villagers were looking towards her and Naruto with angry looks on their faces. She felt frightened of them.

"You ok?" asked Naruto.

Hinata looked at Naruto and asked "W-Why are they angry at us?"

Naruto looked at the villagers and saw the looks. All he could do was sigh.

"They're not angry at us. They're angry at me." He said, solemnly.

"W-Why are they angry at you?" asked Hinata.

"It's… kinda hard to explain." Said Naruto.

At that moment, Kurama reappeared and began to ride on Naruto's shoulder.

' ** _No it's not. They hate you because I'm sealed inside you._** ' Said Kurama.

' _And you think I'm gonna tell her that just so the ANBU can come and take her away?'_ thought Naruto.

' ** _Well it would make things easier on you._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto just ignored that last comment and said

"Just don't worry about it. Everything's fine."

Hinata wanted to take his word for it, but something was telling her that there was more to this than Naruto was letting on.

They arrived at the Hyuuga compound a few minutes later, where two guards were waiting.

"Miss Hinata, you're late. And what is this brat doing here?" said the first guard, sternly.

Hinata looked away nervously.

"Lay off her. She was just hanging out with me." Said Naruto.

The guards were very irritated with Naruto.

"We weren't talking to you, demon." Said the second guard, angrily.

Hinata nervously placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder and said

"N-Naruto, I… I think you should go."

Naruto wasn't listening. He just stared at the guards with a hated look in his eyes.

"Hinata did nothing wrong. You two have no right to talk to her like that. You're not her father."He said, sternly.

"Why you little…!" said the first guard as he was about to attack Naruto but he stopped when he felt someone approaching from behind. Both guards turned around and saw Hiashi walking towards them.

"Well, speaking of who." Said Naruto.

As Hiashi approached, he took notice to Naruto standing next to Hinata. The two guards parted ways and Hiashi now stood before Naruto and Hinata.

"F-Father." Said Hinata, nervously.

Hiashi looked at his daughter with a stern expression and then back to Naruto.

"What were you doing with my daughter?" he asked.

Naruto noticed the stern tone in his voice.

"We were just talking. Nothing more." Said Naruto, in a calm, but serious tone.

"She's been gone for 2 hours." Said Hiashi.

"Well, we were catching up with each other." Said Naruto.

"Catching up?" asked Hiashi.

"Yeah. Turns out we met a few years, and we're in the same class at the academy. What were the chances?" said Naruto.

Hiashi didn't respond to Naruto's remark.

"Look, Hinata did nothing wrong. We were just talking a lost track of time. No harm done. No need to punish her." Said Naruto.

Hiashi still didn't respond. Naruto looked at Hinata and said

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Hinata nodded "Y-Yeah, s-sure." She said.

Naruto started to walk away, but he could still feel Hiashi's glare piercing the back of his head.

' _So, that went well. What do you think Kurama?_ ' thought Naruto.

No response from the fox.

' _Kurama?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _You're attracted to her._** ' Said Kurama.

Naruto stumbled for a moment and looked at Kurama with annoyance.

' _What?_ ' he asked.

' ** _You heard me. You found that girl to be attractive._** ' Said Kurama.

' _No I didn't._ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Oh, don't lie to me kit. I can hear every one of your thoughts. You thought she was attractive._** ' Said Kurama.

' _I am not attracted to her._ ' Thought Naruto, annoyed.

' ** _Yes you are._** ' Said Kurama.

' _No I'm not.'_ Thought Naruto.

Kurama then hopped off of Naruto's shoulder and looked at him right in his eyes.

' ** _What about that comment you made about her 'pretty eyes'?_** ' said Kurama.

Naruto's cheeks turned a slight red.

' _I-I said her eyes were unique._ ' He thought.

' ** _You said they were pretty first._** ' Said Kurama, poking Naruto in the chest.

Naruto sighed ' _Alright, so what if I said her eyes were pretty. They just make her look good. And so what if that thing she did with her fingers made her seem… cuter… wait, did I think that out loud?_ ' he thought.

Kurama started to laugh uncontrollably and began to roll around on the ground. Naruto groaned and slumped over in defeat.

' _I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?_ ' thought Naruto.

' ** _Hahaha, not for a long time._** ' Said Kurama.

' _(sigh), well at least this will give you a reason to stay awake during class tomorrow._ ' Thought Naruto.

' ** _Don't count on it._** ' Said Kurama.

* * *

 **AN: Well, that's that. More to come soon. And don't forget to check out 'Ideas for stories' and see if any of them are good enough to start working on. I know, I'm getting annoying with that, but I like getting people's opinions. So until next time...**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy...**

* * *

It was just another day at the academy and, as usual, Naruto was bored beyond belief. He just stared blankly at the chalkboard as Iruka continued on with his lesson. Naruto could only yawn, as he struggled to stay conscious. The only thing preventing him from passing out completely was Kurama snoring away loudly, sleeping at his usual spot at the front of the classroom.

' _One of these days I'm gonna find a way to get him to stop snoring._ ' Thought Naruto.

Just as he finished that thought, Iruka said "Alright, let's break for lunch."

With that said, everyone left the classroom and headed out to the picnic area.

Naruto took his usual spot on the swing, and Chouji and Shikamaru sat down with him on the ground. They started eating their lunches soon after and Chouji and Shikamaru started to talk about something. Naruto stopped listening to their conversation when Kurama appeared next to him.

' _ **She's staring at you again.**_ ' He said, teasingly.

Naruto looked around and saw Hinata, staring at him. When Hinata saw Naruto looking at her, she quickly looked away and blushed slightly. Naruto sighed.

"What's eating you?" asked Shikamaru.

"It's nothing." Said Naruto.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." Said Shikamaru.

He looked back to the other students and noticed Hinata looking in their direction.

"So, it's Hinata, huh?" said Shikamaru.

Naruto stopped mid-bite of his ramen and looked at Shikamaru.

"And just what are you implying?" he asked.

"I'm implying that something happened between you two." Said Shikamaru.

Chouji was surprised by this.

"Really? What happened between you and Hinata?" he asked.

Naruto was getting a little annoyed.

"Nothing. We had a little chat yesterday, and I took her back to her house." He said.

' _ **You left out the part where you said she had pretty eyes.**_ ' Teased Kurama, as he nudged Naruto with his elbow.

' _Oh, go back to sleep._ ' Thought Naruto, annoyed.

While Kurama stooped over laughing, Shikamaru said

"And what did you guys talk about?"

Naruto sighed. "We talked about the first time we met each other. I saved her from some bullies and she was grateful. It's not a big deal." He said.

"Sure it isn't." said Shikamaru.

"You think there's more to it?" asked Naruto.

"Hey, you said it not me." Said Shikamaru.

' _(sigh) remind we why I wanted friends again?_ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **You didn't.**_ ' said Kurama.

"Leave him alone Shikamaru. If there was something more to what Naruto said, he would tell us." Said Chouji.

"Somehow, I kinda doubt that." Said Shikamaru.

"Well, you're not far off." Said Naruto.

* * *

Later that day, Naruto had just left the academy and started to head towards the western part of the village. Ever since his encounter with Hinata, he thought it would be best to move his shack again. Along the way, he felt someone following him again. Naruto sighed and Kurama reappeared on his shoulder.

' _Is she really doing this again? I thought she would've stop after yesterday._ ' He thought.

' _ **Awww, I thought you like it when she spied on you with her pretty eyes.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Oh how I wish I could imagine putting a muzzle on you._ ' Thought Naruto, annoyed.

Kurama just laughed at Naruto's annoyance.

"Hey Naruto, wait up."

Naruto stopped in his tracks. The voice he heard didn't sound like Hinata. He looked back and saw Iruka walking towards him.

' _ **Well, that's disappointing. I was hoping that was your mate.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Naruto blushed slightly.

' _She's not my mate!_ ' he thought, angrily.

While Kurama laughed away in Naruto's head, Iruka caught up to Naruto.

"Finally I catch up to you. You're not easy to follow." he said.

' _ **That's because I trained you not to be followed.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Like he's supposed to know that?_ ' thought Naruto.

' _ **Just saying**_ ' said Kurama.

Naruto refocused on Iruka.

"And… you were following me because…?" said Naruto, confused.

"Well, I just wanted to see how things were going at the academy for you." Said Iruka.

"Uh…things are going fine. Why do I feel like there's more to this conversation than you're letting on?" said Naruto.

Iruka chuckled "Why would you assume that?" he asked.

' _ **Because it's blatantly obvious.**_ ' Said Kurama.

"Because you wouldn't have followed me if there wasn't something else. What did you really want to talk about?" said Naruto, suspiciously.

Iruka wasn't really surprised by Naruto's reasoning. He knew he couldn't fool Naruto that easily. All he could do was chuckle.

"Alright, you got me. I should've known better than try and mislead you." He said.

' _ **And doing a bad job at it.**_ ' Said Kurama.

While Naruto agreed with Kurama, it still didn't answer his earlier question.

"So, what's this really about?" he asked.

Iruka could tell Naruto want him to get straight to the point. There was no indirect way of making a point to Naruto.

"Wanna grab a bite to eat at Ichiracku's?" he asked.

Naruto was a little surprised and confused. Kurama was only suspicious and he shook his head at Naruto, telling him no.

"Come on. Let's get something to eat." Said Iruka.

While Naruto was still uneasy about Iruka's behavior, he started to follow his instructor to Ichiraku's. As they made their way to the ramen stand, Naruto and Kurama kept their suspicions up. What reason would Iruka have for wanting to have lunch with him and why wouldn't he tell Naruto his reason for wanting to talk to him? It didn't make sense to Naruto or Kurama. They arrived at Ichiraku's a few minutes later and they sat down at the counter. Kurama hopped off Naruto's shoulder and sat down on the counter. Iruka and Naruto ordered their meals and were soon eating their ramen. As they ate, Naruto was still waiting for Iruka to say something. He wanted an answer to his question, not a quiet lunch with his soon-to-be ex-sensei. After Iruka swallowed his ramen he said

"So, you were thinking about leaving, weren't you?"

Naruto and Kurama could already see where this was going.

"Was that rhetorical?" said Naruto.

"No, I'm really asking." Said Iruka.

"But you already know the answer." Said Naruto.

"I'd still like to hear it from you." Said Iruka.

' _ **Like he hasn't heard that since the first day.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Naruto sighed "You already know I don't want to be at the academy. Hell, you probably already know what I'm gonna say tomorrow." He said.

"That's true. And it's also true that you were swindling me." said Iruka

Naruto looked at Iruka with just a hint of surprise.

"Really? How could you tell?" asked Naruto, with fake surprise.

"I didn't, but the Hokage did. I told him about this little deal we made and he told me about your habit of swindling people." Said Iruka.

"Of course he did." Said Naruto.

' _ **Clever old man, isn't he?**_ ' said Kurama, chuckling to himself.

"Look, Naruto. I get it. You hate ninjas. That's fine. But this is doing you some good. This will help you." Said Iruka.

"The only thing this is doing is making me a prisoner, and boring me to tears in the classroom. I kinda fail to see how that is helping me." Said Naruto.

"Trust me, it's for the best. From what the Hokage told me, you were out of control. Stealing from the villagers, taking money and other things that didn't belong to you, breaking and entering. These are the kind of things that make the villagers hate you." Said Iruka.

"I hate to tell you this but they've hated me long before I did any of those things." Said Naruto.

' _ **Ahem!**_ ' said Kurama, clearing his throat.

"Allegedly." Said Naruto.

' _ **Good boy.**_ ' Said Kurama.

"Be that as it may, if you were to become a ninja and do something good with your life, the villagers might treat you differently. They might actually like you." Said Iruka.

' _ **Is this guy serious?**_ ' said Kurama.

Naruto just started laughing. Of all the things he's heard, Iruka's words to him were by far the most ridiculous.

"Oh, that's a good one." He said.

"Naruto." Said Iruka.

"Look, it's a nice thought Iruka. But the villagers will always see me as something they hate. No amount of ninja training, or good doing will ever change their opinion of me. I am, and always will be, the demon-brat of Konoha. So, go ahead and keep me as a student for the rest of my life. The only thing it's doing is making me a prisoner." Said Naruto, as he pulled out his wallet and left some money on the counter.

"Naruto, hold on a second." Said Iruka.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and since the old man knows about it, I guess our deal is off." Said Naruto, as he left Ichiraku's with Kurama on his shoulder. Naruto started to make his way to his shack, placing his hands in his sweatshirt pockets.

' _ **Well, flunking out failed, and now that first part of your plan failed. Not looking good for you.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _I'm not worried. I can still pass the academy and resign shortly after. So the plan's not dead yet.'_ Thought Naruto.

' _ **Yet being the operative word.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _You think it's gonna fail?_ ' thought Naruto.

' _ **Well, I think there's a chance, but that doesn't mean I can't be optimistic.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Since when are you optimistic?_ ' Thought Naruto.

Just then, Naruto felt something cold and wet hit his nose. He looked up and saw that dark grey clouds were forming slowly in the sky.

' _Oh great. Another storm. I thought we were done with those._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **Apparently someone thought different.**_ ' Said Kurama.

With that said, Naruto placed his hood over his head and continued on with his trip back to his shack.

* * *

The next day, heavy rain was down pouring over Konoha. Thunder boomed in the sky and the wind was blowing hard. The villagers were trying to quickly make their way through the streets, hoping not to stay out in this storm too long. Naruto had just left the academy and was now on his way back to his shack. He adjusted his sweatshirt hood and thought

' _Jeez, why do these storms always suck?_ '

Kurama appeared next to Naruto and then said ' _ **Just hurry up and get home. Last thing you need is to get sick.**_ '

Naruto chuckled ' _Aww, and here I thought you didn't care about me._ ' He thought.

' _ **Say another word and I'll bring up your mate again.**_ ' Said Kurama.

That annoyed Naruto, but not as much as the rain pouring down on him. He decided to take a shortcut home by going past this small river that cuts through the edge of the village. Naruto and Kurama was about to walk past a nearby bridge when they noticed a crowd gathering by the side of the river just a few yards ahead.

' _What the hell are they doing?_ ' Naruto thought.

They looked at the river, and that's when they saw the reason for the commotion. Naruto and Kurama spotted a little girl, clinging to large rock in the middle of the river. She was terrified and hanging on for dear life. The water was raging and threatening to pull the girl away.

"HELP ME!" she cried.

On the road next to the river, her parents were terrified watching their daughter hang on.

"SOMEONE HELP HER!" cried the mother.

Some of the villagers had to hold the father back.

"LET ME GO! THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!" he shouted.

"Don't be an idiot! You'll get swept away before you could reach her!" said one of the villagers.

Naruto and Kurama just watched the scene in front of them.

' _How the hell did she end up out there?_ ' he thought.

' _ **Maybe she wanted to go for a swim.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Is there ever a time when you don't make a joke about something serious?_ ' thought Naruto.

' _ **Not really.**_ ' Said Kurama.

Just then, 3 ninja arrived and assessed the situation.

"Alright, everybody stand back! Give us room!" ordered the first ninja.

The villagers did as they said.

"Please, save our daughter!" cried the mother.

One of the ninja tried to walk out onto the water but struggled to get a foothold on the rushing river.

"No good. I can't get a proper footing. We're gonna have to try something else." He said.

The second ninja reached into his weapon pouch and pulled out a rope.

"We'll use this." He said.

He tied the rope around the first ninja and then lowered him into the water.

"Don't let go!" said the first ninja.

The two other ninja nodded and the tied off ninja waded his way into the water.

"JUST HANG ON! I'M COMING TO GET YOU!" he shouted to the little girl.

"PLEASE HURRY!" she cried.

The ninja waded further and further out fighting the current all the way. The two other ninja struggled to keep hold of their commard, as the current pulled him.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Kurama continued to watch the rescue.

' _Looks like they've got this handled._ ' He thought.

' _ **That's a shame. I was hoping for a little more excitement.**_ ' Said Kurama.

'( _sigh_ ) _, why are you so hard to entertain._ ' Thought Naruto, slightly annoyed.

Just then, a large clap of thunder boomed in the air and a bolt of lightening struck a nearby tree. The tree fell to the ground and a large chunk of it landed in the river. The current started to drag the tree quickly down river, straight for the ninja and the little girl. Naruto was shocked at what he saw

"Oh crap!" he said.

The ninja had just gotten to the little girl when they both noticed the large tree heading for them.

"Oh no! PULL US IN!" he shouted.

The two other ninja started to pull them in as quickly as they could, but the only managed to pull them in a quarter of the way from the rocks. The tree approached them faster and faster.

"They're not gonna make it!" shouted one of the villagers.

"NO!" cried the girl's parents.

The ninja held the girl tightly and they both shut their eyes and waited for the end. Just then, the tree came to a sudden stop. Everyone couldn't believe what they saw. The little girl and the ninja opened their eyes and saw the tree stopped a couple feet ahead of them. They then noticed the glowing red chains wrapped around the tree. The two ninja holding the rope and the villagers followed the chains back and were shocked by what they saw.

They saw Naruto standing on the bridge, holding back the tree with his chains. Naruto struggled to keep the tree from going any further. He stood his ground with every ounce of strength he could muster. His feet were slowly sliding on the bridge, and he took a step back, trying to hold his position for as long as he could. Knowing this was the opportunity to move, the ninja holding the girl said

"PULL US IN, NOW!"

the two ninjas started to pull them in to the shore. Meanwhile, Naruto knew he needed to by them more time. He looked behind him and spotted a few good trees to latch on to. He let his right hand go from the chain holding the tree, and he summoned another set of chains. He then whipped them around and launched them towards the trees. The chains wrapped themselves the trunks of the trees and secured themselves in place. Naruto then tried to pull both chains together, hoping to fuse the chains to secure the tree in place. Just as he got the chains within inches of each other, a branch snapped off a nearby tree and flew towards Naruto, hitting him in the head. The sudden impact caused Naruto to loose his footing, and the tree jerked forward, dragging Naruto with him. Both sets of chains straightened and the sound of dislocating bones sounded from Naruto's shoulders.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH" screamed Naruto.

His arms were extended out on either side of him, both being pulled by the chains wrapped around his forearms. The pain in his shoulders was excruciating. The ninja's could see that Naruto was having difficulty holding the tree back and they knew they had to hurry. The pulled the little girl and their fellow ninja in as fast as they could.

"ALMOST THERE! KEEP GOING!" shouted the ninja in the water.

With a few more pulls on the rope, the ninja managed to pull them in, and a few villagers helped them out of the water. The little girl was quickly reunited with her parents and they held on to her tightly.

"Oh, thank goodness." Cried the mother.

The ninja looked back at Naruto, and they saw that he could barely hold on anymore.

"NARUTO! LET GO!" one of them shouted.

Too late. By the time Naruto heard him, the chains tied to the trees behind him came unraveled and the broken tree dragged Naruto over the bridge railing and into the river. Naruto was dragged underwater, scraping the bottom a few times. He tried hard to hold his breath, but the sudden movements made it very difficult. Just as he managed to disperse his chains, he felt something hit his head, and everything went black.

After what seemed like an eternity, the feeling of consciousness found its way back into Naruto. He slowly opened his eyes and his vision came into focus.

"He's coming to." Said a voice.

As his vision became clearer He saw a large group gathered around him.

"Give him some room." Said another voice.

When his vision cleared Naruto saw the villagers, the 3 ninja, and a medical ninja gathered around him. He moaned in pain, as his head wouldn't stop hurting. He looked around at the people around him and he said

"Am I dead?"

The medical ninja shook his head "No, but you almost were." He said.

The mother of the little girl stepped forward and said "You helped save our daughter's life."

Confusion was the first thing to come to Naruto's hazy mind.

"I did?" he asked, but the sudden memory of the rescue came back to him.

"Oh, yeah. I did." Said Naruto.

Naruto tried to sit himself up, but the medical ninja placed his hand on his chest.

"Hold on. You're not going anywhere. You've got a nasty gash on your head. Let me treat that before it gets worse." He said.

Naruto felt the top of his head, and felt a wet feeling. When he looked at his hand he saw it was covered in blood.

"Just hold still." Said the mindical ninja, as he was about to start treating Naruto's injury.

Naruto pushed the medical nin's hand away and said

"I'm fine. I'll be better by tomorrow."

One of the ninja's knelt down to Naruto and said

"Just let him treat you. I doubt you want to make your injuries worse."

Naruto looked at the ninja with a slight bit of annoyance and he grabbed the back of the ninja's vest, trying to stand up. The ninja held Naruto's shoulder and said

"Hey, don't try to move."

Naruto could only sigh at him.

"Let me ask you something." He said.

Naruto then held up a small black capsule and asked

"This is a smoke bomb, right?"

The ninja looked at the small capsule and said

"Uh, yeah but… wait a minute. Isn't that one of my…"

Naruto then said "Yes it is. Thanks for letting me borrow it."

He then slammed the smoke bomb into the ground and a large cloud of smoke engulfed them. By the time the smoke cleared, Naruto was gone without a trace.

* * *

A short time later, Naruto had made it back to his shack and he sat down at his table. He held his still bleeding head and got lost in his thoughts. Everything that just happened a short while ago didn't make sense to him. Why did he help them? Why did he save that ninja and the little girl? It didn't make sense to him. Kurama appeared next to Naruto, and could clearly see the confusion in the boy. Kurama himself was just as confused about Naruto's sudden act of heroism.

 _'Why did I do it? Why did I help them? I don't understand why I did it. Kurama, why did I save them?_ ' He thought.

 _'_ _ **How should I know? You're the one in control of your actions, not me.**_ ' Said Kurama.

 _'But it doesn't make sense. If anything, I'd rather see them get swept down river. But instead, I went and stopped that tree from crushing them. Something's gotta be wrong with me._ ' Thought Naruto.

' _ **Believe me, kit. There are a lot of things wrong with you. But whatever the reason why you decided to help them, it's in the past now. Best thing to do now is to get some sleep and let my power heal you. By tomorrow, those villagers will probably go back to hating you.**_ ' Said Kurama.

' _Somehow, I doubt that._ ' Thought Naruto.

Once Naruto had redressed himself in his pj's, he got into his bed and fell asleep. As he slept, Kurama's chakra went straight to work, healing all of his injuries. Meanwhile in the village, news about the rescue and what Naruto did were spreading like wildfire. By the time Naruto awakes, things will be different in Konoha.

* * *

 **AN: And that's that. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Next chapter will come at some point. Until next time.**


End file.
